An object model is a formal description of an object-oriented application. Semantic elements of an object model describe object classes, attributes of object classes, relationships between object classes and inheritance between object classes. One example object-oriented application is time-based block diagram modeling. Dynamic real-world systems such as electrical circuits, shock absorbers, braking systems, and many other electrical, mechanical and thermodynamic systems may be modeled, simulated and analyzed on a computer system using block diagram modeling. Block diagram modeling graphically depicts time-dependent mathematical relationships among a system's inputs, states and outputs, typically for display on a graphical user interface (GUI). Block diagram modeling may also be used to simulate the behavior of a system for a specified time span. Object-oriented applications include all forms of computation paradigms for block diagrams.
Block diagram modeling can also be used to design algorithms to control the real-world systems being modeled, i.e., a block diagram can be converted to a standalone real-time program and executed on a target system. A modeling diagram can interface with the generated real-time program to exchange run-time data, e.g., change parameters or upload data.
Real-time systems may be thought of has having two main components. A first component is a real-time program required to run a hardware device, such as control logic. A second component is interface code for runtime analysis, visualization and control of the real-time program.